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McCook Pantry celebrating its first Donation Days during Heritage Days
McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook Pantry will host its first-ever "Heritage Days Donation Days" during McCook's annual community-wide Heritage Days celebration this weekend.
Dorothy Henton, president of the Pantry board of directors, said that Pantry volunteers will man a booth in Norris Park Saturday and Saturday, accepting non-perishable foods for the Pantry shelves and monetary donations for the Pantry treasury.
The Pantry booth will be open Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m until 6 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., in the park among the abundance of Heritage Days arts, food and crafts vendors.
Dorothy said that Pantry volunteers are hoping for great, generous support of this first-time-ever "Donation Days" in the park because they will take the place of community-wide canvasing collections later this fall.
Dorothy said that anyone who misses "Donation Days" can bring their donation of food to the Pantry, located in the St. Alban's Episcopal Church Canterbury House in the 500 block of West First, using the alley parking lot for the greatest convenience and the Canterbury House's north door vestibule. The Pantry is located between the church on the north and the McCook Gazette on the south.
Foods may be donated during regular Pantry hours, Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. To arrange different hours for a donation, contact Dorothy at (308) 345-4447.
Monetary donations can be mailed to 509 W. First.
Dorothy said that Pantry volunteers appreciate monetary donations, as they spend about $4,000 a month to purchase foods not often donated, such as bread, margarine, eggs, flour, meat, sugar and peanut butter.
Dorothy said that Pantry statistics indicate that the Pantry has helped 1,120 different McCook and area families at least once during the past 12 months.
Since January 2016, the Pantry has served 7,856 people, or an average of 982 people per month, an average of 273 families per month.
Yearly usage at the Pantry has increased since 2007, 5,560 people; 2008, 6,329 people; 2009, 7,109 people; 2010, 8,673 people; 2011, 10,106 people; 2012, 10,625 people; 2013, 12,021 people; 2014, 13,744 people; and 2015, 13,120 people.
Dorothy said that while they truly appreciate those who donate to the Pantry, the number of recorded contributors in 2015 was down by 12.6 percent over figures in 2014.
In 2015, a total of 159,495 pounds of foods was carried into the Pantry, which included: Donations of food (26,979 pounds); foods purchased at an average of $1 per pound, 54,322 pounds; foods purchased at the Mid-Nebraska Food Bank in Kearney, 37,422 pounds; and foods donated through Walmart's "Feeding America" program, 40,772 pounds (which is a decreased of 32.2 percent).
The Pantry serves families from McCook, Arapahoe, Bartley, Beaver City, Benkelman, Cambridge, Culbertson, Curtis, Danbury, Hayes Center, Holbrook, Indianola, Lebanon, Maywood, Palisade, Stratton, Trenton, Wauneta and Wilsonville; as well as individuals and families in transit through McCook.
Items offered to Pantry customers, as available, include canned fruits and vegetables, cereals and oatmeals, meat, dry pastas, crackers, flour and sugar, rice and beans, macaroni-and-cheese, eggs, margarine, bread and rolls.
Dorothy said the Pantry appreciates St. Alban's donation of space and utilities. The Pantry assists with the electrical bill.
The Pantry is manned by approximately 60 volunteers donating about 120 hours per week.